Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1-8 show a backhoe finishing attachment 10 and associated apparatus. Turning to FIG. 1, conventional excavating equipment like a backhoe 14 removes earth to form an excavation. By way of definition, horizontal means parallel to the surface plane S of the earth prior to excavation and vertical means perpendicular to the surface plane S of the earth prior to excavation. In addition, relating to the backhoe bucket BB, horizontal includes parallel to the aperture plane E of the backhoe bucket BB with the backhoe bucket BB rotated towards the backhoe boom B and parallel to the surface S of the earth prior to excavation. Further, relating to the backhoe bucket BB, vertical includes parallel to the left side and right side, RS of the backhoe bucket.
Typically, a backhoe 14 has an appended boom B with a detachable bucket BB at the end of the boom B. Via the cutting and holding ability of the backhoe bucket BB, a backhoe 14 removes earth and forms walls 12. Typically, the resulting walls 12 of the excavation have an inward curve towards the bottom. The curved walls 12 arise from the lowering and rotating of the boom B during digging and the fact that the earth engaging side EE of the bucket has a pivoting limit when fully opened. Since shoring and earthforms typically require straight walls 12 to attain maximum load bearing capacity, conventionally crews must manually remove the remaining wall earth to straighten the vertical excavation walls 12.
The present invention as shown in FIG. 2, remedies the curved walls 12 with the backhoe finishing attachment 10 shown attached to a backhoe bucket BB. The backhoe bucket BB typically has prongs T near its earth engaging side EE and linkage L at its boom attachment side BA. An aperture E to accept earth and provide an opening to the bucket interior I extends between the prongs T and the linkage L. Typically when not in use, the backhoe bucket BB rests upon the surface S near the excavation. FIG. 2 shows the preferred embodiment of the present invention bolted to the right side RS and left side of the backhoe bucket BB. The boom B and bucket BB are positioned to straighten the vertical wall 12 with the blade 16 of the present invention.
The backhoe finishing attachment 10 appears in FIG. 3 apart from the backhoe bucket BB and has a blade 16, a right beam 26, and a left beam 38 with the blade 16 attached to the two beams forming a substantially U-shape. In a preferred embodiment, the blade 16 of steel has a generally symmetric rectangular shape generally oriented vertically, a cutting edge 18, a top end 20, a left end 22, and a right end 24. The cutting edge 18 is typically the sharpened lower long edge of the blade 16. The blade 16 and the cutting edge 18 extend beneath the left and right beams 26, 38. In an alternate embodiment, the cutting edge 18 has one or more teeth 52 as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 6. The top end 20 is the upper long end of the blade 16 opposite the cutting edge 18. Looking between the beams 26, 38 towards the blade 16, the short end of the blade 16 towards the left is the left end 22 and opposite the left end 22 is the right end 24 of the blade 16. In a preferred embodiment, the left end 22 of the blade 16 is joined to the left beam 38 and the right end 24 of the blade 16 is joined to the right beam 26.
Again looking towards the blade 16, the beam towards the left is the left beam 38 and opposite the left beam 38 is the right beam 26. In a preferred embodiment, the left beam 38 and the right beam 26 have a generally symmetric rectangular shape of substantially greater length than width, a top end 40, 28 and a bottom end 42, 30 opposite said top end 40, 28, respectively. Alternative embodiments may incorporate any structurally sound cross section. The left beam 38 has a front end 44 at the blade 16 and a rear end 46 away from the blade 16. The right beam 26 has a front end 32 at the blade 16 and a rear end 34 away from the blade 16. In the preferred embodiment, the blade 16 is welded to the beams 26, 38 but may be connected with any conventional method of metal joining in alternative embodiments, including but not limited to bolts and pins. In a preferred embodiment, the front end 44 of each the left beam 38 and right beam 26 is welded to the blade 16.
In a preferred embodiment, each the left beam 38 and the right beam 26 have one or more regularly spaced holes 54 to attach each beam 38, 26 to the left side and right side RS of the backhoe bucket BB respectively. In the preferred embodiment, the spacing of the holes 54 allows use of hand tools to tighten mechanical fasteners such as bolts or pins and further deters bending of the beam 38. Alternate embodiments, press the backhoe finishing attachment 10 into shape from a single piece of steel or other structurally sound material.
In an alternative embodiment, the blade 16 has a substantially semi-circular shape akin to a hand shovel oriented vertically, a cutting edge 18, a top end 20, a left end 22, and a right end 24. The cutting edge 18 is typically the sharpened lower curved edge of the blade 16 although the top end 20 may be utilized for cutting when required. In the identified alternative embodiment, the blade 16 and the cutting edge 18 extend beneath the left and right beams 26, 38. The top end 20 is the substantially straight long edge of the blade 16 opposite the cutting edge 18. In a preferred embodiment, the left end 22 of the blade 16 is welded to the left beam 38 and the right end 24 of the blade 16 is welded to the right beam 26.
FIG. 4 illustrates the backhoe finishing attachment 10 installed on a backhoe bucket BB. The backhoe finishing attachment 10 typically fits outside the backhoe bucket BB and along the sides including the left side and RS of the backhoe bucket BB. The right beam 26 positions the blade 16 away from the linkage L and ahead of the backhoe bucket BB. The right beam 26 extends towards the prongs T or earth engaging side EE of the backhoe bucket BB along the right side RS of the backhoe bucket BB. Matching the holes 54 in the right beam 26 to the holes 54 in the right side RS of the backhoe bucket BB, the right beam 26 is bolted by one or more bolts 56 to the right side RS of the backhoe bucket BB. As the left beam 38 and the left side of the backhoe bucket BB are symmetric to the right beam 26 and the right side RS of the backhoe bucket BB, the left beam 38 bolts to the left side of the backhoe bucket BB as described for the right beam 26. In alternative embodiments, the left beam 38 and the right beam 26 may be welded to their respective sides of the backhoe bucket BB. In further alternative embodiments, the left beam 38 and the right beam 26 may be joined to the their respective sides of the backhoe bucket BB by an adhesive or with a hook and latching mechanism. In a still further alternative embodiment, the left beam 38 and the right beam 26 join their respective sides, the left side and RS of the backhoe bucket BB through magnetic attraction.
FIG. 5 shows an alternative embodiment for the backhoe finishing attachment 10. Replacing the beams 26, 38 described in FIGS. 3 and 4 are plates of steel which connect the blade 16 to the backhoe bucket BB. In a preferred form of this alternative embodiment, the right beam 26 and the left beam 38 have a straight end on the top that runs from the left and right ends 22, 24 of the blade 16 across the length of the right beam 26 and the left beam 38. Furthermore, the right beam 26 and the left beam 38 each preferably contain three or more holes 54 with at least one hole 54 offset from the remaining holes 54, but may contain one or more holes and still function. The preferred generally triangular arrangement 62 of the holes 54 in each beam 26, 38 provides a shear and moment resisting connection of the beams 26, 38 to the backhoe bucket BB. The preferably curved bottom end 30 of the right beam 26 and curved bottom end 42 of the left beam 38 runs from the left and right ends 22, 24 of the blade 16 beneath the holes 54 and then to the rear ends 34, 46 of the right beam 26 and the left beam 38 respectively. In further alternative embodiments, other plate forms connect the blade 16 to the backhoe bucket BB without departing from the spirit of the present art. Akin to FIG. 4, the right beam 26 and the left beam 38 may join their respective sides RS, and the left side of the backhoe bucket BB by welds, adhesives, or magnetism or other conventional mechanical fastening methods.
FIG. 6 is an alternate embodiment derived from FIG. 3. In this alternative embodiment, the cutting edge 18 of the blade 16 has a plurality of teeth 52 arrayed in a regular pattern. The teeth 52 generally point downward during use to assist in the earth cutting operation of the backhoe finishing attachment 10. Further alternative embodiments may utilize one or more teeth 52 or not utilize teeth at all. The right beam 26 and the left beam 38 extend from the left and right ends 22, 24 of the blade 16 rearward. In the preferred form, each beam 26,38 has one or more holes 54 for bolts 56 to secure the beams 26, 38 to the backhoe bucket BB. At the rear ends 34, 46, the beams 26, 38 have clips 48, 50 on the top edges 28, 40. The right clip 48 extends upward from the right beam 26 then bends inwards, between the beams 26, 38, and downward into the bucket interior I at the intersection of the aperture E and bucket right side RS. Symmetric to the right clip 48, the left clip 50 extends upward from the left beam 38 then bends inwards, between the beams 26, 38, and downward into the bucket interior I at the intersection of the aperture E and bucket left side. During assembly, the right clip 48 and the left clip 50 assist the crew during installation of the backhoe finishing attachment 10. In front of the linkage L, a crew would place the right clip 48 and the left clip 50 on the top of both sides RS, and the left side of the backhoe bucket BB near the intersection of the sides RS, and the left side and the aperture E. The crew would then push the blade 16 until the holes 54 in the beams 26, 38 aligned with the holes 54 in the sides of the backhoe bucket BB.
FIG. 7 provides a still further embodiment of the backhoe finishing attachment 10 which minimizes damage risk to the boom B and linkage L. In this embodiment, the sides RS, and the left side of the backhoe bucket BB have a pivot hole 64 and two or more mounting holes 66 arranged in an arc. In the preferred form, the right beam 26 and the left beam 38 of the backhoe finishing attachment 10 bolt to the pivot hole 64 with the holes 54 in the beams 26, 38 and to a mounting hole 66 with the remaining holes 54 in the beams 26, 38. The crew chooses at which downward angle to install the right beam 26 and the left beam 38. Installed at an angle, the backhoe finishing attachment 10 has the blade 16 farther away from the boom B. This positioning reduces the risk of the blade 16 damaging the boom B upon opening of the backhoe bucket BB.
FIG. 8 shows a still further alternative embodiment with the backhoe finishing attachment 10 connecting directly to the boom B and the linkage L in the absence of a backhoe bucket BB near the working end WE of the boom B and linkage L. In this form, the backhoe finishing attachment 10 also has a blade 16, left beam 38, and a right beam 26 as described for prior embodiments. The left beam 38 has one or more regularly spaced holes 54 to attach the left beam 38 to the left side of the boom B and the linkage L. The spacing of the holes 54 matches the distance between the boom B and the linkage L. The right beam 26 also has one or more regularly spaced holes 54 to attach the right beam 26 to the right side RS of the boom B and the linkage L. The spacing of the holes 54 also matches the distance between the boom B and the linkage L. As in prior embodiments, the holes 54 of the right beam 26 may match those of the left beam 38 for ease of manufacturing and installation of the device. The left beam 38 positions the blade 16 away from the linkage L and away from the boom B. The left beam 38 extends from the blade 16 to the linkage L and then to the boom B along the left side. Matching the holes 54 in the left beam 38 to the linkage L and to the boom B, the left beam 38 is joined by two bolts 56 to the left side of the linkage L and the boom B. As the left beam 38 and the left side of the boom B and linkage L are symmetric to the right beam 26 and the right side RS of the boom B and linkage L, the right beam 26 bolts to the right side RS of the boom B and linkage L as described for the left beam 38.